While Lonzo Ball returned to the Chicago Bulls this year after missing two full seasons due to injury and LaMelo Ball is one of the top vote getters among Eastern Conference All-Stars, the Ball brother who has gotten headline after headline over the last month is the one who is not currently in the NBA. LiAngelo Ball has blown up in recent weeks due to his song “Tweakers,” with the track going from something you heard on TikTok to a fixture in locker rooms across the world of sports.
This has led to Ball, who performs under the name Gelo, getting some pretty remarkable opportunities, like a spot on the lineup for Rolling Loud California this March. And now, one of the biggest labels in music wants to get in on the fun, as it was reported on The Breakfast Club that Ball got signed to an $8 million deal by Def Jam. Not long after, Shams Charania of ESPN confirmed the report, and added some context to what Ball is getting from the label.
“LiAngelo Ball has signed a deal with Def Jam and Universal Music Group, a representative from his label Born2Ball Music Group says,” Charania wrote on Twitter. “Sources said the deal is worth as much as $13 million, with $8 million guaranteed, and gives Ball full ownership of music and his own record label.”
Ball recently received praise from the man widely regarded as the best rapper in the NBA, Damian Lillard, who praised “Tweakers” during a postgame interview.